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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25189069">Saves Nine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearHatter/pseuds/BearHatter'>BearHatter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Hurt/Comfort, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:22:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>581</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25189069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearHatter/pseuds/BearHatter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There aren't many people Bruce would allow to sew up a wound he couldn't reach himself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Saves Nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bruce hissed between his teeth as Clark carefully dabbed a disinfectant swab over the wound in his shoulder, and Clark knew that even that noise was a gift--that Bruce would never make a noise he didn't choose to allow someone to hear. "Sorry," he said anyway.</p><p>Bruce grunted and rolled his other shoulder. "Just sew it up already," he said.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Clark rolled his eyes. "And if there was a bullet around here I'd give it to you to bite on, but unfortunately we'll have to resort to a local anesthetic." He felt Bruce's amused huff through his gloved hands as he carefully smeared a numbing cream on.</p><p>The sterilized needle and thread were already ready and waiting on the table next to them and Clark picked them up without hesitation. When Bruce had first allowed him to do this, on an off-world mission, he'd been so nervous; tempted to go faster than he should, asking if Bruce was okay so much Bruce got irritated (twice). Now he just focused on the rise and fall of Bruce's ribs under his bare skin, something that told him more than any of Bruce's words.</p><p>He carefully inserted the needle, just the right distance into the skin, pulling it through, and into and through the other side. He carefully pulled it tight, but not too tight. He looped it around to make the knot, and carefully snipped off the thread. Bruce let out a long exhale.</p><p>"Ever get used to it?" Clark asked offhandedly. It was the part of hero work that was the most unknown to him, the Man of Steel, invulnerable. Even when he was hurt, by kryptonite or other means, he never got stitched out, just put under the sun lamps until the wounds healed on their own.</p><p>"I am used to it," Bruce said in his gravelly voice. "This is just another Tuesday for me."</p><p>"Today's Wednesday," Clark said, and he couldn't keep the smile out of his voice as well as Bruce could.</p><p>"Is it? Damn. Missed the art gallery opening."</p><p>The needle went in again, and they both stopped talking as Clark carefully guided thread through skin, pulled it tight again, and snipped off the excess. A drop of blood welled up, and Clark carefully blotted it away with the antiseptic gauze.  "Hmm. What will be your excuse this time?"</p><p>"Oh, sexual escapades in Cabo, probably. And a really extensive hangover."</p><p>"At the same time? Ambitious."</p><p>"It has been said of me before before."</p><p>Clark carefully inserted the needle again and pulled it through, seeing the raw red flesh be closed over by tanned smooth skin as he pulled the ligature tighter. It wasn't something he saw with his x-ray vision, wasn't something he saw often--and truly, of course, he hoped to see it less. But there was something so intimate about it that he couldn't help but treasure the times when Bruce let him take care of him. He carefully knotted it, snipped the ends, considered his work. It would probably take only a couple more stitches.</p><p>"I'd think you'd have special knowledge of just how ambitious I can be." Bruce leaned back on one arm, and Clark watched the muscles shift under his skin.</p><p>"Is that your way of telling me to hurry up?"</p><p>"That's my way of saying, finish stitching me up so we can go have sex."</p><p>Clark didn't say anything, but he did finish stitching as fast as safely possible.</p>
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